The BAMN! automat food vending machine on St. Marks Place. It evoked two things for me: 1950's Americana pharmacy dining and contemporary Asian vending machines where you can purchase everything from beer to condoms. The offerings were creative -shepherd's pie, faux chicken sandwiches from Red Bamboo, grilled cheese, bbq chicken paninis. Everything was $1-$3, impressively cheap.
Another observation - the general Asia-fication of New York. From popular Japanese retailer Uniqlo (they of the $40 cashmere sweater) and Muji (which I love with my minimalist-obsessed heart) to the restaurants like the Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, and the dozens of Izakayas that line St. Marks, it feels as though a large portion of Tokyo's hipsters have relocated to the area around NYU and the East Village. I enjoyed shopping at Uniqlo, below, with its overwhelming selection of T-shirts and nondescript preppy staples like polo shirts and button-downs.
Now, if only we could purchase cashmere sweaters from vending machines...
I had a surreal experience at Uniqlo. They had retro t-shirts with old corporate logos and one of them was Yum Yum Doughnuts, a doughnut chain in L.A. that I grew up with! So a guy from Miami buys a t-shirt of an L.A. doughnut shop at a Japanese apparel store in NYC. Wacky.
ReplyDeleteAnd we loved Muji. It was the only place that I could find a manly fold-up reusable grocery bag as well as a wooden block set of iconic NYC buildings, complete with taxis and limos.
Every experience at Uniqlo is surreal...And I saw that wooden block set at Muji and fell in love with it too. Nice shopping L2M!
ReplyDeleteI used to live in Miami and now live in New York (near the food vending machines!) and like your blogs lots! it makes me homesick for miami. i wish i could find decent cuban food here. i will swap you dim sum for pastelitos!
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